Envelope and the manufacture thereof



1,526,231 C. F. M. PIPER ENVELOPE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Sept, 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 92 1,526,231,

c. F. M. PIPER ENVELOPE AND THEMANUFAGTURE THEREOF Filed Sept. 25, 192:5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 47 i l %/a 1/1 /8 f /8 im-'1' if f NBfli- Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES r. M. PIPER, or LOWER FERN TREE GULLY, vIcroRIA, AUSTRALIA.

ENVELOPE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF.

Application filed September 25, 1323. Se ial No. 66 ,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK MEAOHER PIPER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Meadow Farm, Lower Fern Tree Gully, a post town in the State of Victoria, Conimonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Envelopes and the Manufacture l hereof, of which the following is a specification. V V

It has hitherto been proposed to secure a string orthe like, by an agglutinant, along the fold formed at the junction of the flap and the body of an envelope, and to provide perforated inwardly plrojectingfinger portions beyond the string so that, provided the string remains attached to the fold, it is only necessary to grip the finger portions betweenthe finger and thumb and pull. The string then tears the envelope open along the fold.

In my prior Australian Patent No. 71767 of 1912 an envelope of'this character has been disclosed, but experience shows that the string slips in the fold formed by the downturned flap of the envelope, an agglutinant being insufficient to retain it. Further, it is a somewhat expensive and objectionable process todip or otherwise coat the string with a glue or the like, and then place it in the crease of the envelope, and then overturn the envelope flap. Still further, when the adhesive dries the string frequently slips out without tearing the envelope which then requires to be opened with a paper knife or the like in the usual way.

The present invention overcomes the foregoing objections and provides an envelope that may: be cheaply and easily manufactured. In addition existing envelopes may be readily converted to conforin with an envelope according to the invention. The invention also provides an envelope that may be positively opened without the use of a paper knife or other instrument, in a neat and efficacious manner, and the contents 7 an envelope having a front 2, a back 3, and

withdrawn.

Generically the invention consists in running a line of stitches along the crease formed by the flap of an envelope and in forming a semicircular (orother conformation) line of perforations through the flap and the front of the envelope whilst the flap is closed against the back, of the envelope,

and in an apparatus for performing the necessary operations automatically, one form of which apparatus will be hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying 1ngs:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing in broken lines an envelope making machine to which this invention has been applied.

Figure 2 is a plan of a carrier for transferring the envelope to a perforator to form a detachable finger tab.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing a drying drum, this figure being a continuation of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the carrier shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan of the lower element or die of the perforator.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of Figure 5 with the members thereof separated for convenience of illustration.

Figure 7 is a side sectional elevation of the perforator.

Figure 8 is an enlarged plan of a holding block used with the perforator.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of feed rollers for passing the envelope to a stitching mechanism or sewing machine.

Figure 10 is a plan of a thread cutting blade.

Figure 11 is a plan of the driving gear of a rotary thread cutter.

Figure 12 is an end elevation of a rotary cutter.

Figure 18 is a front view of an envelope having a finger tab and a line of stitches alongthe crease or fold of the closingflap.

Figure 14 is a rear view of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a rear view of the envelope seen in'Figu'res 13 and 14: partially opened.

Figure 16 is a view showing portion of an opened envelope with the closing flap detached and the finger tab and thread from which the line of stitches was formed likewise detached.

The invention includes (Figures 18 to 16) d rawa closing flap 4. The flap 4: is integral with the front 2 and over-turned upon the back 3to form a fold or crease in any ordinary manner. 1

According to the invention the envelope nism, hereinafter described, is adapted to form a circular line of perforations, indicated at 5, in the front 2 and closing flap 4; of the envelope thereby providing a finger tab having a front portion 6 and a hack portion 7. Upon each portion may be printed an instruction such as Pull.

By means of a stitching mechanism, such as an ordinary sewing machine, hereinafter described, a line of stitches 8 is inserted in the fold or crease of the envelope. To open a closed envelope it is only necessary to grasp the frontand back portions 6 and 7 of the finger tab and pull or jerk them out-- wardly. They then tear from the envelope.

Portions of the stitches are grasped in the semi-circular (or other shape) folded finger portions. In consequence the whole of the thread 9 is pulled and the stitches rip or tear open the envelope along the crease or fold of the flap 4., as indicated in Figures and 16.

The perforating and stitching mechanism has been illustrated herein as'applied to a common form of envelope making machine. The envelope making machine is shown in broken lines in Figure 1. In this type of machine the ordinary finished envelope is directed from a position indicated at A to a belt conveyor 10 driven by the pulley 11. The conveyor passes around a drum 12 adapted to be heated in order to dry the agglutinant with which the envelope is secured. The cords indicated at 13 retain the envelope upon the conveyor which is finally delivered at the position indicated at 11%. Envelope making machines of this character include an oscillating yoke lt and the. shafts 15, 16 and 17.

The present invention includes a slide 18 (Figure 2) moving in suitable guideways 19. The envelope is delivered laterally upon the slide 18 the shoulders 20 of which bear against the fold of the envelope. The slide is connected by connecting rods 21 to the yoke 14- and is accordingly reciprocated thereby.

The slide 18 delivers the envelope to a perforating mechanism indicated at C (Figure 1). This consists of a lower die 22 having therein a series of pin holes incli- "ated at 23. Secured to the lower die 22 is a lever 21 engaged by a pin 25 depending from the slide 18'. Secured to die 22is oneend of a return spring 26.

The slide 18 is operated by the oscillation of the yoke 1 1. Tim pin 25 is always in engagement with the lever 24: and holds the lever against the tension of the spring 26 so that when the slide moves towards th'e'yoke 14 the spring 26 causes the die to partially rotate for the purpose of turning the envelope then under treatment by the die from a lateral to a longitudinal position with respect to the slide. The slide recedes and the envelope is removed from the die by engage ment of a shoulder 27 with the said envelope when the slide returns as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Above the lower die 22 is an-upper die 28 or pin holder carrying a series of perforatingpins 29 to engage the holes 23. Located upon the pins is a sliding block 30 con trolled by a spring 31 and having a pin the head 33 of which is located in a hollow or tubular column 34. of the holder 28. The block 30 is provided with a spring 35 cor responding with the spring 26 to ensure synchronous rotary movement when the pins 29 are in engagement with the holes 23. Upon the column 34 is a collar 36 to retain a spring 37. Bearing upon the upper end of the column 3 is the lower end of an adjustable pin 38 carried by a lever 39 operated by a cam 40 located upon the shaft 15.

The operation of the perforating mechanism is as follows An envelope having been delivered lat erally upon the slide" 18 with the flap 4 partially open and uppermost, the shoulders 20 bear against the fold of the flap 4; and the slide moves towards the perforator. The flap opens out into a horizontal plane as it enters above the lower die 22. The cam 4:0 now causes the upper die or pin holder to descend and the pins 29 enter the holes 23. The slide 18 commences its return journey. The pin 25 bears against the lever 24 and turns the lower die and the upper die or pin holder 29 bodily. The envelope is thus turned at right angles. The block 30 bears upon the envelope to ensure the clean removal of the pins 30 and to prevent the envelope being lifted :by them as they recede from the die 22. hen the slide 18 again moves towards the perforating mechanism the shoulder 27 engages the perforated en velope and moves it from the said mechanism.

The perforated envelope is delivered to feed rollers 12 rotated by gearing 43 and pulleys 44, 45 from the shaft 16. The fold of the envelope is delivered in line with the needle 4:6 of a stitching mechanism 417 of any suitable character. The l'i'iechanisin 17 is prefe ably an ordinary sewing machine driven from the shaft 17.

By means of a connecting rod 48 connect ed to the shaft 15 rotary cutters 47 are rotated so thatas an envelope passes from the rollers 42 to the needle of the stitching mechanism and receives the line of stitches 8 along the fold of said envelope the thread 9- connecting successive envelopes is out after leaving the said stitching mechanism. Each envelope falls upon a chute 49 and is delivered to the belt 10. It then passes round the drum 12 to the delivery point B. The mechanism described has been designed for attachment to an ordinary envelope making machine so that an envelope may be equipped with the invention during the manufacture of the said envelope and without any extra labour. And the invention resides in the product or envelope and in any and all combination of parts for its pro duction whether arranged as described or otherwise.

It will be obvious for example that the perforating, stitching and thread cutting devices could be arranged to treat an ordinary envelope after delivery at the point B; or to perforate the envelope at one point and to stitch it at another. Further, the blank material from which an envelope is made could be perforated and stitched before being fed to an envelope making machine.

hat I claim is 1. Improvements relating to the manufacture of envelopes and the like consisting in a perforating mechanism adapted to form a finger tab in the envelope, at stitching mechanism adapted to locate a line of stitches in a predetermined position upon the envelope and upon the finger tab=,,and a cutting device adapted to sever the thread connecting successive envelopes passed from the stitching mechanism.

2. Improvements relating to the manufacture of envelopes or the like, consisting in a perforating mechanism, means for feeding successive envelopes to said mechanism for perforation and delivering perforated envelopes from said mechanism, a stitching mechanism, means for delivering perforated envelopes from the perforating mechanism to the stitching mechanism, and means for cutting the thread connecting successive envelopes passed from the stitching mechanism.

8. Improvements relating to the manufacture of envelopes or the like, consisting in a reciprocating slide, a perforating mechanism having a lower die adjoining the slide, said lower die having a series of holes therein, a depressible upper die having a series of perforating pins communicating with the holes, a stitching mechanism, feed rollers adapted to pass successive perforated envelopes from the perforating mechanism to the stitching mechanism, a cutter adapted to sever the thread connecting successive envelopes passed from the stitching mechanism, and a feed belt receiving the envelopes after stitching.

4:. Improvements relating to the manufacture of envelopes or the like, consisting in a reciprocating slide upon which an envelope is laterally delivered, a perforating mechanism comprising a lower die having holes therein, an upper die having a series of needles corresponding with the holes, a slidable block located upon the needles to free an envelope therefrom after perforation, means for intermittently depressing the upper die synchronously with the movement of the slide, means for turning the envelope after perforation from a lateral to a longitudinal position in relation to the slide, a stitching mechanism, feed rollers adapted to pass the envelope from the perforating mechanism to the stitching mechanism with the fold or position to he stitched in line with the needle of said stitching mechanism, and a cutter adapted to sever the thread connecting successive envelopes delivered from the stitching mechanism. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. M. PIPER. Witnesses G. AIGKEN, R. E. (has. 

